Jojoba oil is obtained from the seed of Simmondsia Chinensis, which contains about 50% by weight of this oil, and which on account of its chemical structure is not a fat but a liquid wax.
This liquid wax is made of a mixture of straight chain monounsaturated fatty acid esters from 20 to 22 carbon atoms and homologous alcohols most of the same size, with an average chain length from 40 to 42 carbon atoms having one unsaturated hydrocarbon on each side of the ester bond (Wisniak, Jaime, The chemistry and technology of jojoba oil. American Oil Chemists Society, USA 1987). Its general formula is as follows:

The unsaturated acids with the highest presence are eicosanoic acid (of 20 carbon atoms, C20), docosanoic acid (C22), with lower amounts of oleic acid (C18). Alcohols are mostly docosanoic alcohol and eicosanoic alcohol (Wisniak, Jaime, The chemistry and technology of jojoba oil. American Oil Chemists Society, USA 1987).
The intensive studies conducted and its use for more than 30 years in cosmetic products, show that jojoba oil is not toxic when it is applied on the human skin, or administered orally to mice, rats, marmots and rabbits (Verbiscar, Anthony; WO99/62451—Topical transdermal treatment).
Jojoba oil has been effectively used to treat different skin disorders together with other therapeutic agents, for example salicylic acid in the treatment of psoriasis, dandruff, acne and skin flaking. It is effective with zinc oxide in the treatment of contact dermatitis, cutaneous rash and allergic dermatitis. It is also effectively used for treating insect bites or fungal foot infections, as well as for treating first degree burns and sun burns, being a good protector against ultraviolet radiation during exposure to sun.
It is a first selection for treating wounds, even those associated with inflammatory processes and scars. It has been used as an auxiliary agent for the treatment of alopecia.
Jojoba oil is also successfully used for a wide range of disorders such as rheumatic pain and arthritis, otitis, ocular disorders, as well as in suppositories for treating anal fissures, hemorrhoids and non infectious vaginitis (El Mogy, Nabil Sadek; Patent Application US2003/0008022—Medical effect of Jojoba oil).
Jojoba oil esters are effective for promoting quick relief of infected zones or preventing future relapses. Jojoba oil is absorbed through the skin much more easily and quickly than other substances previously used without having to add surfactants or emollients (Purcell, Hal; U.S. Pat. No. 6,559,182 B1 (May 6, 2003), WO 2003/49674—Method of treatment of enveloped viruses using jojoba oil esters).
Jojoba oil can be used as a promoter of the therapeutic efficacy of other active principles, as it increases percutaneous absorption and accumulation in the epidermis, and is able to act as a carrier of the active principles to deep layers of the skin to perform their function. Examples of these active ingredients are anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and ketoprofen; antifungal agents such as griseofulvin; liposoluble vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin E; antineoplastic agents such as Taxol and Paclitaxel; hormonal agents such as testosterone, estrogen, cortisone and prostaglandins; as well as other antiviral agents such as nucleoside and immune response modulator analogue drugs (Purcell, Hal, U.S. Pat. No. 6,559,182 B1 (May 6, 2003), WO2003/49674—Method of treatment of enveloped viruses using jojoba oil esters).
However, jojoba oil itself, used as a vehicle, is only able to dissolve lipophilic active principles, but is not useful as a vehicle of hydrophilic active principles. Therefore, a new vehicle derived from jojoba oil and capable of carrying a wide range of active principles, either lipophilic or hydrophilic ones, and also exhibiting the advantages offered by products whose vehicle is aqueous in relation to the oily ones is desirable.
A composition containing derivative products of hydrolysed jojoba oil was described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,435,424. When this composition is included from 5% to 10% in other cosmetics, repellent or pesticides products, it increases the persistence of those products over an animal's skin or hair. In spite of this composition it is not itself an aqueous carrier that produces the dissolution of cosmetics or pharmaceuticals active principles, either lipophilics or hydrophilics.
An important field wherein the use of jojoba oil is also effective is the prevention and treatment of infections by virus such as herpes viruses, including but not limited to, Herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1, mostly associated to facial infections on lips, mouth, nose and eyes; HSV type 2, mostly genital; varicella zoster virus also known as human herpes virus (HHV) type 3; HHV type 8, associated with Kaposi's sarcoma.
In this respect, it has been found that alcohols with a chain length from 16 to 20 carbons and at least one unsaturated carbon are effective in inhibiting replication of viruses with lipid coating in cell cultures; numerous studies have shown the antiviral activity of n-docosanol, and several patents support these publications (Verbiscar, Anthony; WO 2006/112938A1—Formulations useful for the treatment of varicella zoster virus infections and methods for the use thereof).
However, jojoba oil does not contain alcohols in free form but rather in esterified form. Therefore it is desirable to have a jojoba oil vehicle comprising the free alcohols which, considering their structural characteristics, are per se an active principle against lipid coated viruses.